


shades of red

by mist_chance



Category: Gintama
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, First Meetings, M/M, Pre-Canon, Rakuyo - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:22:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22704646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mist_chance/pseuds/mist_chance
Summary: On Rakuyo, Abuto meets a Syren.“You think I’m pretty?” the Syren asked, skeptical.The Syren canted his head, sending a cascade of crimson hair over his shoulder. He watched Abuto with half-lidded eyes, his eyelashes long enough to snag on the bangs falling into his face, and bright enough, red enough, to make his teal eyes all the more otherworldly.“Yeah,” Abuto confessed, lips tugging into a crooked smile. “You’re so beautiful I can’t look away.”
Relationships: Abuto/Shinkou Hisui
Kudos: 5





	shades of red

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** _Gintama_ (and all associated characters, locations, Amanto species, etc.) belongs to Sorachi Hideaki. 
> 
> **Warnings:** Strong language, hints of assault.  
> (I didn't think either was too extreme in this fic. If I'm wrong, please let me know in the comments and I'll change the rating accordingly.)

Abuto was fed up with life on Rakuyo.

At almost nineteen, he was in that weird, in-between stage of being nearly grown but not quite grown enough. Which sucked, since he was, unfortunately, still living with Ma, who always had something to say about what he did or didn’t do, or how he looked or acted… She had something to say about _everything_ , really. And if she didn’t succeed in chasing him out of their apartment with her nagging, she’d unexpectedly boot him out with the stern order to, “Go make something of yourself, useless son!” at any point of the day. Ma had timed his current exile to the streets just as the sun was starting to set, coloring the dusty streets and crumbling buildings in burnt orange and blood-red.

Make something of himself? Yeah, right.

Rakuyo was a mixing pot of various Amanto, to the point Abuto doubted anyone could remember which species was originally from Rakuyo. The entire planet was more of a pit stop for refugees looking to get back on their feet, than a home. It was a place for survival, not for living. Especially for Yato.

The only Yato on Rakuyo were the young ones and the females. All the of-age males were off-planet, either a member of Housen’s division of the Harusame Pirates, or a bounty hunter like the infamous Umibozu. As an in-betweener, Abuto wasn’t “capable” enough to be either a pirate or a bounty hunter, but also not young enough anymore to be considered “harmless” by the other Amanto on Rakuyo. He hadn’t been able to bag a decent odd job in _months_. It didn’t matter how difficult or dirty or low paying the job was, it didn’t matter how much he tried to make himself less intimidating, no one wanted to hire a young Yato — a young _male_ Yato, at that — for jobs that didn’t involve fighting or bloodshed.

Abuto thought the prejudice was unwarranted. It wasn’t the male Yato outsiders should be wary about. It was the _females_.

Prejudice aside, the lack of work was getting to be a serious issue. Ma’s waitress salary and their meager savings were already stretched thin, and Abuto’s appetite was increasing again. It looked like he was going to have to make a decision about whether he was going the pirate or bounty hunter route sooner, rather than later. Abuto didn’t think he was too much of a slouch when it came to fighting — at the very least, he’d never lost a street fight — but the lack of formal training in fighting or any other useful skills made bounty hunting less appealing, since most Yato went solo for those kinds of jobs. Housen’s division stopped by Rakuyo for short stretches of time every four to six months for shore leave and recruitment efforts. Joining the Harusame Pirates was probably the safest bet for him, since he’d get a steady income to send home to Ma…

Abuto rounded a corner, and a red blur glanced off his shoulder. The blow was hard enough to knock his shoulder back, but otherwise didn’t affect him. Abuto reached out with his free hand, the one not holding his umbrella, to grab the red banner fluttering in the air next to him. His fingers didn’t catch anything, but a slender hand snagged his arm tightly, and there was suddenly a warm body pressed against his back. Though he had no clue what was going on, Abuto still moved so the Amanto clutching at his back was hidden from view against the wall, when he heard the footfalls of heavy boots rush closer.

“Where’d that bitch go?”

“He went this way!”

Two Amanto barreled around the corner, almost colliding into each other and wiping out. The one in the lead was almost Abuto’s height and lizard-like in appearance. When he caught sight of Abuto — or more specifically, Abuto’s umbrella — he skidded to a stop, causing the second, pig-headed Amanto to squeal and crash into his back.

“Fucker,” Porky snapped, shoving at Lizard. “That Syren bitch’ll get away at this— ” His dark eyes spotted Abuto, and Porky immediately stilled the way prey froze when caught in a predator’s gaze.

“Ya-Yato!” Lizard exclaimed in a shrill voice.

Porky elbowed Lizard hard in the ribs, and seemed to gather up all his bravado as he stepped forward to face off Abuto. It would’ve been more effective if he wasn’t a head shorter. “We’re lookin’ for a Syren. You seen one go by?”

“Maa, you’ll have to be more specific,” Abuto drawled, ignoring how the hold on his shirt tightened. “Syrens and Yato look a lot alike.”

That wasn’t necessarily true. Of the several Amanto species living on Rakuyo, the Syren and Yato were the only ones that looked like Earthlings, but the biggest difference between them was complexion. Yato were pale-skinned and always carried an umbrella; Syrens could be pale or dark-skinned, or anything in between.

“Bullshit.” Porky scowled.

“The bitch’s got red hair,” Lizard piped up. “Teal eyes, and _fuck_ if his lips ain’t meant for cock sucking— ”

“And why, exactly, are you lookin’ for this Syren?” Abuto interjected, hand tightening around his umbrella when the Syren, pressed against his back, trembled.

“Little bitch tried pullin’ a fast one on _us_ ,” Porky spat, his face trying to twist into a snarl. “Tried using that goddamned mind trick with his voice… So you seen ‘im or not?”

“Nah, can’t say I have.” Abuto put just enough of an edge in voice to warn the Amanto off.

Porky looked unconvinced, but what little bravado he had disappeared at Abuto’s tone. “We find out you lied, we’re comin’ after _you_ next, Yato,” Porky warned as he backed away from Abuto, Lizard matching him step for step.

Abuto waited until their footsteps left his range of hearing, and then stepped away from the wall. The hold on his shirt slipped as he moved. “Are you al— ”

“Fucking assholes,” the Syren spat, glaring in the direction the Amanto had disappeared and making a rude gesture with his fingers. “Calling me a ‘cock sucking bitch.’ How the fuck did dumbasses like _that_ catch— ” The Syren’s startlingly teal eyes stopped on Abuto, and he froze. “Uh. Thanks for the save,” he said, folding into an awkward, shallow bow. “I’m sorry I got you involved in that shitty situation.”

Abuto opened his mouth, a response ready on his tongue. To his embarrassment, nothing came out.

The Syren was unfairly beautiful, even for his species; and since Rakuyo had little in the way of beauty, Abuto was clueless on how to deal with beautiful things, much less beautiful Amanto.

“Y-You’re welcome,” Abuto forced himself to say, when the Syren’s gaze started gaining a tinge of suspicion. “Sorry! It’s just that you’re really, very pretty, and I— ”Abuto locked his jaw tight, teeth clicking together. His ears prickled with the telltale heat of embarrassment, and he hoped, for once, that his shaggy hair served a purpose and hid them from the Syren’s sharp eyes.

“You think I’m pretty?” the Syren asked, skeptical. He looked Abuto over from head to foot, and then met Abuto’s gaze again. “Even looking like this?”

The Syren canted his head, sending a cascade of crimson hair over his shoulder. He watched Abuto with half-lidded eyes, his eyelashes long enough to snag on the bangs falling into his face, and bright enough, red enough, to make his teal eyes all the more otherworldly. The Syren’s hair was mostly pulled back in a loose, unraveling braid, mussed in a way that suggested it’d been grabbed at unsuccessfully. His knuckles were a raw, pinkish-red, and an angry red mark smudged the Syren’s left cheek. In spite of all of this, and how he stood — loose and relaxed, ready to fight — the Syren was still so beautiful that Abuto ached just from looking at him.

“Yeah,” Abuto confessed, lips tugging into a crooked smile. “You’re so beautiful I can’t look away.”

The Syren blinked, and then stared at Abuto long enough that it should’ve gotten awkward. But Abuto was content to watch the Syren’s teal eyes search for something in him. Then the Syren nodded and relaxed.

“I’m Hisui.” Hisui gave a small smile, eyes crinkling at the corners. It hinted at how devastating a real one would look. 

“Abuto,” he said in return. Abuto watched Hisui shake his hair free of its braid. If he wanted, he could reach out and touch Hisui’s hair… “Won’t those Amanto cause trouble later on?”

“I don’t come this way often, so I’m not too worried about them.”

Abuto nodded, somewhat agreeing with Hisui’s logic. They were currently near the outskirts of a busy shopping district; the Yato and Syrens lived further out, away from the bustle. For all Yato and Syrens looked like Earthlings, one of the weakest known species in the galaxy, they each had abilities that made them decidedly _not_ weak. Yato, with their heightened senses and increased strength, and Syrens, with their mind-manipulating Suggestion, were often treated with suspicion, even fear, by other Amanto. So they tended to be insular, even though there weren’t too many of either species on Rakuyo.

But as Hisui had proven, being a Syren didn’t mean he couldn’t run into trouble. There was no guarantee Hisui wouldn’t run into Porky and Lizard again, or that they wouldn’t run into him.

“It’s kind of you to worry, Abuto-san.” Hisui’s expression softened with his voice, and that, along with the way Abuto’s name fell from his lips, made Abuto’s heart skip. “But I’ll be fine. Besides,” his smile took on a mischievous tinge, “I’m more curious about _you_. Why help out a stranger?”

Abuto shrugged. “I saw your hair and wanted to meet the Amanto with the guts to hide behind a Yato without warning.” He finally gave in and slowly reached out with his free hand to touch the crimson hair draped over Hisui’s shoulder. When Hisui didn’t move, Abuto carefully curled his fingers into the silky strands. “I’m not disappointed.”

“Abuto-san,” Hisui said, dryly, “you haven’t known me long enough to feel one way or another.”

He stepped closer, close enough for Abuto to catch his scent — a subtle, but sharp smell Abuto couldn’t compare to anything other than some of Ma’s more obscure spices that always made his mouth water — mainly because the neckline of Hisui’s shirt shifted, baring more of his collarbone. Abuto had to fight down the urge to bury his nose in Hisui’s hair, in the hollow of Hisui’s throat, had to ignore the ache in his teeth to bite down at the smooth expanse of tanned skin and _claim—_

“We can change that,” Abuto said, his voice rough as he refocused on Hisui’s eyes.

Hisui smiled again, though it looked…dimmer. “You seem like a nice guy, Abuto-san. It always hurts more when a nice guy leaves.”

Hisui patted Abuto’s chest and stepped away. As he did so, Abuto reluctantly let the strands of crimson slip from his fingers.

“…I’m not as nice as you think.”

“Even so…” Hisui shook his head. “It was nice meeting you, Abuto-san. And I’m sorry for this. **Wait until you can’t hear me. Don’t follow.** ”

Everything went…fuzzy, after Hisui’s voice deepened strangely. Though Abuto knew Suggestion was a Syren’s default weapon, he’d never experienced it for himself…

Abuto could hear Hisui walking away. He sluggishly shook his head, and took a few stumbling steps after Hisui. Just as suddenly and subtly as Hisui’s Suggestion had disoriented Abuto, the world settled again.

He tried tracing Hisui’s path, but didn’t get farther than the next street. Hisui had been smart enough not to touch any of the buildings or objects lining the street, to avoid leaving a scent trail. And of course the wind and dust couldn’t hold scents that weren’t shitty.

“Don’t follow, huh,” he mused.

He didn’t feel discouraged. Abuto hadn’t agreed to anything, much less not _looking_ for Hisui.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's Day!
> 
> I've had this draft for a while now, but only just recently become satisfied with it. I see this as the first part of a pre-canon AU where Abuto and Hisui raise Kamui and Kagura. 
> 
> I'm not sure if the spelling is "Rakuyo" or "Rakuyou." Most sites I checked said the latter, but I've been using "Rakuyo" long enough that it feels weird to change it. So I'm sticking with "Rakuyo."
> 
> Please leave kudos/comments to show your support! Thanks for reading :)


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